Ethiopia

on 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)

Ethiopia as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 72 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAddis Ababa

Area1,221,900 km2

Populationas each edition published it

54.27 million July 1992 · 51.67m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.41% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 52.21 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.9 children per woman 1992 · 7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

112 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 116 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $130 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 6% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Total area

1,221,900km2

Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Coastline

1,094km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

5,141km

Djibouti 459 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 2,221 km

Disputes

southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line;
possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis;
territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden;
independence referendum in Eritrea scheduled for April 1992

Climate

tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation; some areas prone to extended droughts

Terrain

high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Natural resources

small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash

Land use

arable land 12%;
permanent crops 1%;
meadows and pastures 41%;
forest and woodland 24%;
other 22%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification;
frequent droughts;
famine

Note

strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields

People

14 fields

Population

54,270,464

(July 1992), growth rate 3.2% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

45Death

14Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Oromo 40%Amhara and Tigrean 32%Sidamo 9%Shankella 6%Somali 6%Afar 4%Gurage 2%other 1%

Literacy

62%

(male NA%, female NA%) age 10 and over can read and write (1983 est.)

Nationality

noun - Ethiopian(s); adjective - Ethiopian

Religions

Muslim 40-45%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35-40%, animist 15-20%, other 5%

Languages

Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)

Labor force

18,000,000; agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)

Organized labor

All Ethiopian Trade Union formed by the government in January 1977 to represent 273,000 registered trade union members;
was dissolved when the TGE came to power;
labor code of 1975 is being redrafted

Government

On 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)

19 fields

Type

on 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) toppled the authoritarian government of MENGISTU Haile-Mariam and took control in Addis Ababa;
the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE), announced as a two-year transitional period;
on 29 May 1991, Issayas AFEWORKE, secretary general of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), announced the formation of the Provisional Government in Eritrea (PGE), in preparation for an eventual referendum on independence for the province

Administrative divisions

14 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akababi) and 1 autonomous region* (rasgez akababi);
Addis Ababa (Addis Ababa), Afar, Agew, Amhara, Benishangul, Ertra (Eritrea)*, Gambela, Gurage-Hadiya-Wolayta, Harer, Kefa, Omo, Oromo, Sidamo, Somali, Tigray

Independence

oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years

National holiday

National Revolution Day 12 September (1974)

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers

Leaders

Chief of State:: Interim President Meles ZENAWI (since 1 June 1991); transitional government
Head of Government:: Acting Prime Minister Tamirat LAYNE (since 6 June 1991)

Elections

Council of Representatives:: last held 14 June 1987 (next to be held after new constitution drafted)
President:: last held 10 September 1987;
next election planned after new constitution drafted;
results - MENGISTU Haile-Mariam elected by the now defunct National Assembly, but resigned and left Ethiopia on 21 May 1991

Other political or pressure groups

Oromo Liberation Front (OLF);
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP);
numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed since Mengistu's resignation

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Girma AMARE;
Chancery at 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008;
telephone (202) 234-2281 or 2282

US:: Charge d'Affaires Marc A. BAAS;
Embassy at Entoto Street, Addis Ababa (mailing address is P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa);
telephone [251] (01) 550666;
FAX [251] (1) 551-166

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red;
Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors

Economy

Ethiopia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa.

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

5.2%

(1989)

External debt

$2.6billion

(1988)

Budget

Revenues

$1.8 billionExpenditures

$1.7 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $842 million (FY88)

Ethiopia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 45% of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee generates 60% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs from the agricultural sector.

Over 90% of large-scale industry, but less than 10% of agriculture, is state run; the government is considering selling off a portion of state-owned plants. Favorable agricultural weather largely explains the 4.5% growth in output in FY89, whereas drought and deteriorating internal security conditions prevented growth in FY90. In 1991 the lack of law and order, particularly in the south, interfered with economic development and growth.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $6.6 billion, per capita $130, real growth rate- 0.4% (FY90 est.)

Unemployment rate

Exports

$429 million (f.o.b., FY88)

commodities:: coffee 60%, hides
partners:: US, FRG, Djibouti, Japan, PDRY, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia

Imports

$1.1 billion (c.i.f., FY88)

commodities:: food, fuels, capital goods
partners:: USSR, Italy, FRG, Japan, UK, US, France

Industrial production

growth rate 2.3% (FY89 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP

Electricity

330,000 kW capacity; 650 million kWh produced, 10 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement

Agriculture

accounts for 45% of GDP and is the most important sector of the economy even though frequent droughts and poor cultivation practices keep farm output low;
famines not uncommon;
export crops of coffee and oilseeds grown partly on state farms;
estimated 50% of agricultural production at subsistence level;
principal crops and livestock - cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and other vegetables, hides and skins, cattle, sheep, goats

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $504 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.4 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $8 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $2.0 billion

Currency

birr (plural - birr); 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

birr (Br) per US$1 - 2.0700 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year

8 July - 7 July

Communications

7 fields

Merchant marine, 12 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 8roll-on/roll off 1livestock carrier 1petroleum tanker 212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 62,627 GRT/88,909 DWT

Airports, 123 total, 86 usable

permanent-surface runways

9runways over | 3,659 m

1runways 2,440-3,659 m

13runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

44,300Railroads

988

Highways: ; 3,650 km paved, 9,650 km gravel, 3,000 km improved earth, 28,000 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 681 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge (nonoperational)